Pencil-holder.



No. 638,796. Patented Dec. l2, I899.

W. P. BURBIS.

PENCIL HOLDER.

(Application filed my 12, 1899.!

(No Model.)

m: "cams PETERS 00.. wyoruuwon wasumnmu. a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM PAXTON BURRI S, OF SALEM, OHIO.

PENCIL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,? 96, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed May 12,1899. Serial N0 716,514. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PAXTON BUR- RIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Oolumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil-Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to pen and pencil holders; and its primary object is to provide a device of this character which will hold pens or pencils in such a manner as to protect their points from injury and be especially adapted for use in school-rooms.

The novel features of the invention will be fully described hereinafter and defined in the appended claim, in connection with the accompanyin g drawing, which represents a view in perspective of the device.

The reference-numeral 1 designates a block or strip of any suitable material, preferably wood, formed on its upper surface with one or more longitudinal grooves 2 of U shape in cross-section and adapted to receive a pen or pencil, as indicated by dotted lines in the drawing. lVhile a block witha single groove (in connection with the securing means hereinafter referred to) would embody my invention, the preferred construction consists of a block having a series of grooves 2 for the special purpose set forth hereinafter. Secured to the opposite edges 3 of the block 1 is a transversely-arranged plate 4:, of spring metal, having a plurality of tongues 5, formed by slitting the metalplate, so that one tongue will be located immediately above each of the grooves to engage the pencil resting therein.

Immediately opposite each of the tongues 5 is printed or attached a number, as l, 2, 3, 850., said consecutive numbers constituting a label or index character to identify the pencil with its owner or user.

The block or holder proper, 1, is of a length corresponding to or slightly exceeding that of the usual lead-pencil or pen holder, and it is obvious that when located in'its groove the pen or pencil point will be fully protected throughout its length.

The utility of the device as a school-room article will be apparent from the following statement; Ordinarily lead-pencils and pens are collected at the close of a session of school into a box provided for the purpose, and the contact of the pencil-points with the box or its contents in dropping the pencils into the box frequently breaks the sharpened points or otherwise injures the pencils. It is designed by my invention to provide a holder capable of holding a sufficient number of pencils to supply one row or tier of desks in a school, and by assigning a number to each pupil in the row and requiring his or her pen oil to be kept in the correspondingly-num bered compartment of the holder the same pencil can be readily supplied to such pupil for individual use day by day, with the result that the teacher can observe any carelessness or abuse in the use of the pencils and locate the offender by the number upon the holder, and, further, thatthe indiscriminate use of pencils, which from a sanitary standpoint is objectionable,- owing to the practice of wetting the point with the tongue, is avoided.

In practice two holders will be supplied for each row of pupils-one for pens and the other for pencils.

A further advantage of the device is that when the several holders are collected and hung along the wall of the room or other con+ venient place the teacher in charge can tell at a glance which pencils require sharpening and have such work done by the janitor or other person, so that the pencils will be in readiness for use at the next session of the school.

In case pupils are permitted to keep pens and pencils in their desks my device promade, is of very durable construction, and vided with a series of integral tongues each 10 capable of holding a pencil of any length. tongue being depressed into a corresponding I claimgroove. As a new article of manufacture, a pencil- In testimony whereof I affix my signature holder comprising a rectangular block, prov in presence of two witnesses. vided with a series of parallel grooves ex- WILLIAM PAXTON BURRIS. tending from end to end of its upper surface, lVitnesses: and a comparatively small metal plate se- JESSE SINKs JOHNSON,

cured upon the block at its center, and pro- DAVID GRONER. 

